Reachout ASC
The SME Productivity & Innovation Centre (PIC) at Edge Hill University delivers impact through an intensive fully-funded programme that helps established SMEs, with the vision and potential for growth, build a coherent business model strategy to scale-up.
Reachout case study
Autism Support Consultants
“The Rapid Innovation Sprint Programme has enabled me to grow as a business leader and ensure my company growth is solid and sustainable. It was challenging and thorough, leaving no stone unturned, which I loved because now I have a clear foundation for the future and any challenges ahead in my business. The SME Growth Experts were brilliant and really invested in my business and how it works. The personal challenges in this business development have changed my mindset to a more data-based evidence evaluation of my business. I would definitely recommend it to organisations committed to growing their business!”
Lynn McCann Specialist Teacher, Trainer, and Author – Reachout ASC
Benefits and impact:
Profitability
- 253.3% increase in turnover eight months following completion of the programme and annual revenue increased by 27% from training courses.
Job creation
- Doubled the team from four employees to eight and engaged three self-employed Specialist Teachers.
Technology adoption
- Successfully adopted a new digital CRM system to integrate into their new service model which has reduced the cost of admin hours by 25% and increased income for each client by 4.5%.
Business profile: Reachout ASC
| Sector | Education |
| Product/service | Autism support specialists in Lancashire |
| Size (by headcount) | 8 |
| Location | Leyland |
The challenges
Lynn McCann entered the Rapid Innovation Sprint Programme to formulate a product development strategy for growth. The aim was to improve operational performance and gain traction in the E-Learning market to stimulate proactive outbound business development. The completion of the business diagnostic enabled the SME Growth Experts to identify the need to align the growth strategy to the introduction of a new clearly defined tiered service model together with the adoption of a new technology in the form of a digital CRM tool. A new tiered service model including the creation of a new customer portal for better customer communication and alongside that, creating an online training platform aimed at schools, parents and other organisations will also increase the customer base yield. In addition to increased profitability and productivity, the strategy was also likely to result in the creation of new jobs, set within a new organisational structure with redefined roles and responsibilities for the team to drive the new tiered service offer forward.
The opportunity
Developing the new tiered service model would allow Lynn to develop a differentiated offer in the marketplace and pinpoint their desired customer profile with multiple points of entry to drive outbound business development. Throughout the programme, Reachout ASC was able to develop the evidence base for the market opportunity available and explore the feasibility of the routes to reaching those markets. The new CRM would improve the productivity of their business development activity and help them to drive more effective marketing activities and sales conversions as part of their strategy for growth.
The key changes
Throughout the early stages of the programme, Lynn identified she had valuable tacit knowledge that needed to become explicit throughout the business to ensure the continuity of the business and succession planning. Facilitated by the SME Growth Experts, Lynn redefined the roles of her team members set within a new organisational structure. Parallel to the CRM introduction, the introduction of systematic awareness marketing campaigns will drive up market visibility. A new online partnership will also act as a vehicle to deliver live and recorded training sessions aligned with the CPD requirements of teaching professionals.
The plan and outcomes
Lynn used the latter stages of the workshops to devise their Growth Action Plan for embedding the new tiered service model and the new digital CRM tool. As a direct result of the programme, Reachout ASC has created three new Specialist Teacher positions and increased their turnover by 253.3% (eight months after completing the programme); the revenue from Reachout ASC training has increased by 27%. The new CRM system has increased income from each client by 4.5% and reduced the cost of admin hours by 25%. Reachout ASC has established a new partnership, used as a vehicle to deliver live and recorded training sessions. From this, they have successfully secured an online training membership which now has over 400 monthly paying members, which accounts for 15% of their turnover. The programme has given Reachout ASC the plan and the infrastructure to achieve real scale, allowing them to drive up their revenue, create new jobs and ensure profitability.
What we offer
”The programme provides you with the opportunity to work on the business and not in it.”
Professor Simon Bolton – Director, SME Productivity & Innovation Centre
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